REFLECTIONS

The past few years have brought much to reflect upon.

Within a 10 month period, we experienced the loss of two of our family members. My

husband, known to many as Bris, but Daddy and Papa, Papa Bee, Uncle Erwin and Uncle Bris to others, passed away on December 16th, 2009.

Just recently, my daughter-in-law, Linda Dye, known as Mom, Sis, Nana and Auntie Linda lost her life on October 17th, this year, 2010 .

We, the family, have lost others very dear to us in the last few years...... our Vinny in 2005, then our April a couple of years later, 2007, I think, and my sister, Phyllis Wolfe, known as Mom, Nanny, and Auntie Phyllis in 2005.

In March of 2009, we lost Katherine Soares, known as Mom, Nana, and Auntie .

So many loved ones, gone from our midst.

There has been much sickness, too, life-threatening illnesses, for many of our family members

but I won't go into that here.

There have been babies born within our ranks, and we are blessed by that fact.

And so, life balances out...the circle, or cycle of life goes on.

There are those who have tried to find employment...some have had success, others still trying, still struggling. Many having a hard time, because of the slow economy. But, I hope

things will turn around soon, and situations will get better.

My purpose in writing this is not to bring anyone down, but to celebrate having known these dear ones, and the privilege of having had them in our lives. This is a season in which to be joyful, however our beliefs may differ. It's a happy time of year, a time for family gatherings, feasting, giving and receiving gifts, singing happy, joyful songs, and being thankful for those who are still with us.

It is a time for showing appreciation for what we do have, and for working all the harder to attain what we desire , without hurting others to get it.

It is a time for demonstrating love for our family, love for our friends and acquaintances, neighbors, and those we meet in our everyday lives, co-workers, schoolmates. mail carriers, newspaper carriers, all those we do business with, everybody.

It s a time to forgive. We need to show compassion and understanding, accepting people for who they are. As Mr. Rogers, of TV fame, used to say... "I love you just the way you are".

We each want to be loved and accepted, and we need to do the same toward others.

For any who are estranged from our family or any others, we need to show them this same love and acceptance. May God, or the Universe, whatever and whomever you believe in, bless our efforts, and bring our family together again in peace and love.

So it is with mixed feelings that I approach this Holiday season, and I hope with all my heart

that the New Year coming, 2011, will see all of us in better health, better financial straits, better, healthier family dynamics, and hope for a better future for all.

As Tiny Tim says, "God Bless us, Everyone" !!

I love every single one of you, with all my heart !

D

In Memoriam

Yesterday was a time for remembering two very special people who left this earth only recently.

It would have been my daughter-in-law, Linda's 65th birthday. She went Home on October 17th, this year, 2010.

She had been a mother most of her life, first helping her mother, Carol, take care of all her siblings, as they came into the family .

She became a mother to her own three sons later, Michael, William, and Patrick.

That wasn't enough for this beautiful, caring and courageous young woman, as she also helped to care for her little sister. Susie, some years later . She and her husband, my son, Dwight, took care of all four of these kids, and did a pretty good job of it, too.

In later years, both Dwight and Linda helped her sister, April, and April's son, Paul, by letting them come to live in their home.

Both Dwight and Linda came down with one health problem after another, becoming seriously ill at times, but they never stopped helping and caring for others.

Linda lost her life way too soon . She should have lived a lot longer, for there was more work for her to do, but God had other plans for her, and took her Home earlier than any of us, her loving family ever expected .

We, her family, composed of many, both blood and non-blood relatives, miss her, miss her beautific smile, her warm, caring voice, her loving way of making one feel better just talking to her, and the warm, wonderful hugs she dispensed so freely and often.

All of us loved her, and we know she loved each of us, in her own, special way, and we are so sad that she is gone from our midst .

Yesterday was hard for us, but we all wished her a Happy Birthday, each in our own way.

Yesterday was also the first anniversary of my own, dear husband, Bris's, death.

He was 85, so he had a fairly long life, but we, his children, and I, didn't want to see him go, even so. I think we all want to hold on to those we love, forever, but it isn't to be.

We each, I believe, have been given a certain amount of time in which to live, and when that time is over, we follow the path back to our Creator, who granted us this life .

Bris was a hard man to get to know fully. He didn't seem to be able to express his love for his children, Linda, Dwight and Candy as openly as others can. Yet, we know within ourselves, that he did love each of us, in his own way. He would use different names for the kids, for

Linda, it was 'Punkin' , for Dwight, it was first, 'Butch', and later, 'Gus', and for Candy, it was always 'Baby' . I feel that was a way for him to show his love, without being 'mushy' .

When we met the Teague family, in May of 1964, he got to know and love each of them, again, in his own, special way.

We sometimes took some of the Teague kids with us camping. He really enjoyed their company.

One of the boys, Donald, had a special place in his heart, and mine, also. Donald came to live with us in May, 1969, until his unexpected, sudden death in an auto accident, in August, 1970.

Dwight and Linda set up housekeeping soon after, within a couple of years, and later married. They had a long marriage, a long time together, nearly 40 years .

And so, the history of our two families, was blended together, for all time. We became one.

Bris loved all those kids, as well as ours, and all their children, as they came along, as well as the grandchildren and great-grandchildren born to us, through our children.

He had a good life, with so many of us loving him, even tho' he was cantankerous. He got to do many things he enjoyed throughout his life.

We will always remember him, and Linda as two good people whom we were fortunate enough to have in our lives.

And we shall love and miss them both. Always.

May God hold you in His embrace, and give you peace.

D